1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headphone apparatus used for listening to sound such as game sound, music, human voice and so on.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are presented game machines capable of making access to a communication network such as Internet, and allowing the user to enjoy the game with transmitting and receiving information via the communication network. These game machines are generally called on-line game machines. In conventional game machines, a person who plays a game (hereinafter called a “player”) plays a game with a game machine, otherwise two or more players come together at a place to play a game with a game machine. On the contrary, according to on-line game machines, two or more players who are at different places from each other can enjoy a same game with their own game machines. For example, two players who are at different places can play against each other in a same game, or two or more players who are at various places can participate in a same game.
Some on-line game machines have a function that allows multiple players to make a conversation or chat one another via a communication network (hereinafter this function is called a “voice communication function”). For example, using the voice communication network may allow a voice exchange between a player and an opponent player during the game. More specifically, each player wears a microphone-attached-headphone arranged so that the microphone and the headphone are integrated as a unit. If one player says something, the player's voice is supplied to the on-line game machine via the microphone of the microphone-attached-headphone. Then it reaches an on-line game machine of another player (opponent) and further reaches the ears of the opponent via the microphone-attached-headphone that the opponent wears. This voice exchange may be bidirectional.
On the other hand, game machines typically integrate music reproduction devices therein for a function to reproduce sound such as music, sound effect, game character's voice and the like, which are recorded in a ROM disc, a built-in hard disk or the like (hereinafter these sound information is generally called “game sound”). The game sound is reproduced in association with the game content.
Thus, in the on-line game machine with the voice communication function, the player can enjoy the game while listening to both of the opponent's voice and the game sound. In this case, usually, the opponent's voice reaches the ears of the player via the own microphone-attached-headphone, while the game sound is outputted to an ambient (e.g. in a room) via speakers connected to the on-line game machine. For example, since on-line game machines are typically connected to televisions, the game sound is outputted from speakers disposed at televisions. In order to enjoy more sophisticated game sound, on-line game machines may be connected to audio systems to output the game sound from large speakers disposed at the audio systems.
Nevertheless, in the on-line game machine with the voice communication function, the game sound may arise a noise issue, since the game sound is outputted from speakers of the television, the audio system or the like into the ambient such as into the room or the like. For example, if a resident of an apartment plays a game with a full volume in the mid-night, the neighbors may be annoyed by the game sound as noise.
As a solution, it seems advantageous to present an arrangement in which not only the opponent's voice but also the game sound is supplied to the headphone to be outputted only to the ears of the player.
If a simple composition of the voice and the game sound is outputted from speakers, however, the voice and the game sound are mixed in a same sound field. As a result, a problem is arisen, that is the player can not clearly distinguish the voice and the game sound. For example, if the opponent's voice is merged into the game sound, the player may fail to play or enjoy some contents of the game or games.
This problem may arise not only in the game machines but also in various machines or apparatus. That is, this problem may arise in various machines or apparatuses designed so that two or more sound are combined or synthesized to be outputted via the headphone. For example, in an apparatus with a function for listening to sound via a headphone, the sound being obtained by synthesizing music outputted from a CD player or the like and sound outputted from a cell phone (phone ring and voice of the party of the other end), the listener can not clearly distinguish the sound outputted from the CD player or the like and the sound outputted from the cell phone, which is inconvenient. For example, if the phone ring or the voice of the party of the other end merges into the music outputted from the CD player, it is difficult to talk on the line.